World's first "crowd sourced" public policy initiative
Monday 28 January 2013
Don't Underestimate Strategic Voting
At least until some basic electoral change can be considered, Manitoba United is not the only organization that might be able to benefit from some co-operative arrangements in a few tight ridings.
Manitoba United is willing to look at a strategic riding by riding approach which could make the difference to tip the balance of power.
When we look at the performance of the three main Manitoba parties there are some very clear patterns. The PCs are rural or at least at the edges of urban. The NDP are almost all urban. The Liberals are thin and urban. Future projections seem to indicate right wing parties in every jurisdiction, American or Canadian are in their death throes. As structured, the Manitoba PCs will never grow and will only fade. The Liberals provincially are completely rudderless. In short, if nothing dramatic happens, Manitoba is faced with three years plus four more year which would equal at least seven more years of left wing government. That is a spectre that any thinking Manitoban should worry about. The NDP will grind the hydro cash cow into hamburger and it will be disastrous to Manitoba’s deficit, and fiscal health. Unfortunately, the disproportionate growth of mother government will continue to erode our industrious spirit, and be even more disastrous to the private sector and working families.
What to do! What to do! Unlike other proposals which simply assume everybody will fold their tents and join a central party, Manitoba United is proposing a radical departure. For the first election cycle, we will try and create a wedge producing either a strong voiced opposition, a mitigating minority or a full minority government. Here is my best explanation of the group thinking.
1) There is no need to run candidates against many incumbent PC members. Quite a few of them are competent and moderate but they are poorly served by their own party. We would consider not competing against them in selective ridings (especially rural ones) provided that they return the favour by leaving the way clear for us in selected urban ridings where they generally are not competitive to start with.
2) We would do the same for the Liberals
3) We would agree to vote with any of those PCs or Liberals against further left wing expansion or for any direction already outlined in Manitoba United’s pragmatic philosophy.
4) Failure of either party to understand the strategy would mean that we would run directly head on with the likelihood that they would lose that seat to the NDP
5) It might take the next election (or a by-election) to show we mean business but eventually they will get the message.
6) We would outright welcome any moderate MLAs or former MLAs who would want to run under the Manitoba United banner providing they sign on to our basic principles.
7) It is similar for the Green party but there are differences. The Greens are generally more pragmatic than the other two parties and more likely to agree to a riding strategy. Furthermore it might well make sense to make a Green displace one more NDP seat by being relatively uncontested in a riding like Wolseley.
8) We would draw the line in the sand to prevent the certifying of any intolerant right wing (or left for that matter) politicians. To be blunt, they are not welcome. They can vote United but they cannot join the organization without signing on to the principles.
It might be useful to consider one of the options that elements within the federal Liberal party are talking about. They think that an NDP and Liberal associations within the same riding might decide to have a joint nomination meeting rather than opposing each other.
Manitoba United is willing to look at a strategic riding by riding approach which could make the difference to tip the balance of power.
ReplyDeleteWhen we look at the performance of the three main Manitoba parties there are some very clear patterns. The PCs are rural or at least at the edges of urban. The NDP are almost all urban. The Liberals are thin and urban. Future projections seem to indicate right wing parties in every jurisdiction, American or Canadian are in their death throes. As structured, the Manitoba PCs will never grow and will only fade. The Liberals provincially are completely rudderless. In short, if nothing dramatic happens, Manitoba is faced with three years plus four more year which would equal at least seven more years of left wing government. That is a spectre that any thinking Manitoban should worry about. The NDP will grind the hydro cash cow into hamburger and it will be disastrous to Manitoba’s deficit, and fiscal health. Unfortunately, the disproportionate growth of mother government will continue to erode our industrious spirit, and be even more disastrous to the private sector and working families.
What to do! What to do! Unlike other proposals which simply assume everybody will fold their tents and join a central party, Manitoba United is proposing a radical departure. For the first election cycle, we will try and create a wedge producing either a strong voiced opposition, a mitigating minority or a full minority government. Here is my best explanation of the group thinking.
1) There is no need to run candidates against many incumbent PC members. Quite a few of them are competent and moderate but they are poorly served by their own party. We would consider not competing against them in selective ridings (especially rural ones) provided that they return the favour by leaving the way clear for us in selected urban ridings where they generally are not competitive to start with.
2) We would do the same for the Liberals
3) We would agree to vote with any of those PCs or Liberals against further left wing expansion or for any direction already outlined in Manitoba United’s pragmatic philosophy.
4) Failure of either party to understand the strategy would mean that we would run directly head on with the likelihood that they would lose that seat to the NDP
5) It might take the next election (or a by-election) to show we mean business but eventually they will get the message.
6) We would outright welcome any moderate MLAs or former MLAs who would want to run under the Manitoba United banner providing they sign on to our basic principles.
7) It is similar for the Green party but there are differences. The Greens are generally more pragmatic than the other two parties and more likely to agree to a riding strategy. Furthermore it might well make sense to make a Green displace one more NDP seat by being relatively uncontested in a riding like Wolseley.
8) We would draw the line in the sand to prevent the certifying of any intolerant right wing (or left for that matter) politicians. To be blunt, they are not welcome. They can vote United but they cannot join the organization without signing on to the principles.
It might be useful to consider one of the options that elements within the federal Liberal party are talking about. They think that an NDP and Liberal associations within the same riding might decide to have a joint nomination meeting rather than opposing each other.
ReplyDelete